Mother and A Guest (1961)

There is a classic Korean film in which the line “What is the best side dish for you?” is still parodied. The film Mother and A Guest, whose title may not be known to the public but whose line is, was directed by Shin Sang-ok in 1961. The film made about 60 years ago is not without some unfamiliarity in the vocalization of the lines, but the film itself is still entertaining and interesting. Shin Sang-ok’s stable directing and editing clearly proves the perfection of the Korean classic film that has survived 60 years, and Ok-hee’s natural acting as a messenger of love between the two clumsy and hesitant adults particularly invigorates the film. In that sense, the child actress Jeon Young-sun’s acting as Ok-hee is indispensable in Korean film history. Choi Eun-hee in the role of mother, Kim Jin-gyu of guest, and other prominent supporting actors such as Do Geum-bong, Kim Hee-gap, and Heo Jang-gang are among the highlights.

As Mother and a Guest deals with a woman’s faltering path between the pre-modern feudal ethics of chastity and the modern trend of widow’s free remarriage, today’s audience may be exasperated. However, it is hard to see the film justifying the woman who abides by the ethics. It should be seen that the film rather contains a view criticizing the constraints of feudal tradition on women of the time. This is also the value that can be inferred from Shin’s different films, which have consistently criticized the violence inflicted on women by Confucian ethics.

The Blu-ray of Mother and a Guest is based on the source which was restored to 4K by the Korean Film Archive in 2018 under the auspices of Naver, a Korean search engine. Although the DVD was once released before, the high-definition Blu-ray this time will offer you an opportunity for whole new appreciation of the value of the film, Mother and a Guest. This Blu-ray title also includes the commentary by film director Min Kyu-dong and film critic Ju Sung-chul. The duo is also the hosts of a famous TV show about movies, and their commentary will help you understand Shin Sang-ok’s film world and the film itself. The booklet includes the film introduction by senior researcher Cho Jun-hyoung of the Korea Film Archive and the article by film critic Lee Hwa-jung.
 

Subtitles: Korean, English, and Japanese
Screen ratio: 1080P FULL HD 16:9
Audio: Korean LPCM Mono
Rated 12: Ages over 12 admitted.

Special Features
- Commentary by: Min Kyu-dong (Film Director), Ju Sung-chul (Journalist)
- Image gallery

Booklet
- “Lived like a Movie” Cho Jun-hyoung (Korean Film Archive)
- “Mother, a Woman in Front of the Gate of Modernity” Lee Hwa-jung (Film Critic)

Miscellaneous
Three Film Postcards